Display of presentation elements

• US 9,386,357 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Basapur, Santosh S., Lee, Young S., Chaysinh, Shirley A., Mandalia, Hiren M., Novak, Ashley B., Venkitaraman, Narayanan
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, TOAN H
• Application Number:
  US13/457,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20130287365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 715/772, 715/720, 715/863
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for displaying information relating to a portion of a multimedia presentation. A progress bar is provided and displayed. A length of the progress bar is representative of a duration of the multimedia presentation. A user selects a first and a second point in the multimedia presentation, thereby defining a portion of the presentation. Depending on the selection, one or more communications (e.g., comments, online postings, etc.) may be identified. Each of these communications may have been composed in relation to at least a point of the multimedia presentation that is within the defined portion. Information depending on those identified communications may then be displayed to the user.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a plurality of presentation elements, the method comprising:

displaying, on a user interface, a progress bar, a length of the progress bar being representative of a duration of a multimedia presentation, a point along the length of the progress bar corresponding to a point within the multimedia presentation;

displaying, on the progress bar, a first point along the length of the progress bar, the first point being distinct from an end of the progress bar;

displaying, on the progress bar, a second point along the length of the progress bar, the second point being different from the first point;

automatically selecting a plurality of communications of secondary content from consumers of the multimedia presentation, each one of the plurality of communications being relevant to a selected time interval defined by the first point and the second point;

automatically generating, for display on the user interface, a time interval summary comprising information relevant to the selected time interval, the information being dependent on one or more selected communications from the plurality of communications, wherein the one or more communications are automatically selected based on a criterion selected from a group consisting of;

a user preference for communications of secondary content liked by other users, a user preference for communications of secondary content from a user-specified plurality of other users, and ratings given to communications by other users; and

displaying, on the user interface, the time interval summary;

wherein each communication has been composed in relation to a respective point or range within the multimedia presentation within the selected time interval, and wherein each of the communications comprise one or more content items;

wherein each content item is selected from a group of content items consisting of media items, multimedia items, references to media items, and references to multimedia items;

wherein each content item has been selected depending on at least part of the communication and content information relating to content of the multimedia presentation;

wherein the points or ranges within the multimedia presentation that the communications have been composed in relation to are between points in the multimedia presentation that correspond to the first point and the second point; and

wherein the time interval summary comprises a summary selected from a group consisting of;

a filtered selection of communications from the one or more communications, a text summary based on the one or more communications, and a video summary comprising a selection of video clips associated with the one or more communications.

2. A method according to claim 1:

wherein each communication is displayed in a respective communication box;

wherein each communication box comprises a respective marker; and

wherein the progress bar and the communication boxes are displayed such that, for each communication box, the marker of that communication box is in alignment with a particular position along the length of the progress bar, the particular position corresponding to the point or range in the multimedia presentation in relation to which the communication in that communication box was composed.

3. A method according to claim 1:

wherein the first point has been selected, by a user, by selecting a first position along the length of the progress bar; and

wherein the second point has been selected, by the user, by selecting a second position along the length of the progress bar.

4. A method according to claim 3:

wherein the user interface is displayed on a touch-screen display;

wherein the selection of the first point by the user has been made by the user touching the first position along the length of the progress bar on the touch-screen display; and

wherein the selection of the second point by the user has been made by the user touching the second position along the length of the progress bar on the touch-screen display.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

displaying, for each displayed communication, a date and time at which that communication was composed.

6. A method according to claim 1:

wherein the user interface is displayed on a display of an end-user device; and

wherein the end-user device is arranged to;

receive a selection, by a user of the end-user device, of the first point;

receive a selection, by the user of the end-user device, of the second point; and

select from a group of one or more communications, those communications that have been composed in relation to points or ranges within the multimedia presentation that are between points in the multimedia presentation that correspond to the first point and the second point.

7. A user interface apparatus comprising:

a processor operatively coupled to a display device, the processor configured to send data to the display device for causing the display device to display a user interface comprising;

a progress bar, a length of the progress bar being representative of a duration of a multimedia presentation, a point along the length of the progress bar corresponding to a point within the multimedia presentation;

a first point along the length of the progress bar, the first point being distinct from an end of the progress bar, the first point being different from a second point;

the second point along the length of the progress bar; and

a time interval summary comprising information relevant to a selected time interval defined by the first point and the second point, the information being dependent on one or more selected communications from a plurality of communications of secondary content from consumers of the multimedia presentation, each one of the plurality of communications being relevant to the selected time interval, wherein the one or more communications are automatically selected based on a criterion selected from a group consisting of;

a user preference for communications of secondary content liked by other users, a user preference for communications of secondary content from a user-specified plurality of other users, and ratings given to communications by other users;

wherein each one of the plurality of communications has been composed in relation to a respective point or range within the multimedia presentation, and wherein each of the communications comprise one or more content items;

wherein each content item is selected from a group of;

content items consisting of media items, multimedia items, references to media items, and references to multimedia items;

wherein each content item has been selected depending on at least part of the communication and content information relating to content of the multimedia presentation;

wherein the points or ranges within the multimedia presentation that each one of the plurality of communications has been composed in relation to are between points in the multimedia presentation that correspond to the first point and the second point; and

wherein the time interval summary comprises a summary selected from a group consisting of;

a filtered selection of communications from the one or more communications, a text summary based on the one or more communications, and a video summary comprising a selection of video clips associated with the one or more communications.

8. A user interface apparatus according to claim 7:

wherein each communication is displayed in a respective communication box;

wherein each communication box comprises a respective marker; and

wherein the progress bar and the communication boxes are displayed such that, for each communication box, the marker of that communication box is in alignment with a particular position along the length of the progress bar, the particular position corresponding to the point or range in the multimedia presentation in relation to which the communication in that communication box was composed.

9. A user interface apparatus according to claim 7:

wherein the first point has been selected by a user by selecting a first position along the length of the progress bar; and

wherein the second point has been selected by the user by selecting a second position along the length of the progress bar.

10. A user interface apparatus according to claim 9:

wherein the user interface is displayed on a touch-screen display;

wherein the selection of the first point by the user has been made by the user touching the first position along the length of the progress bar on the touch-screen display; and

wherein the selection of the second point by the user has been made by the user touching the second position along the length of the progress bar on the touch-screen display.

11. A user interface apparatus according to claim 7 wherein, for each displayed communication, a date and time at which that communication was composed is displayed.

12. A method of processing one or more communications, each communication having been composed by an originator, each communication having been composed in relation to a point or range within a multimedia presentation, the method comprising:

displaying, on a user interface, a progress bar, a length of the progress bar being representative of a duration of the multimedia presentation, a point along the length of the progress bar corresponding to a point within the multimedia presentation;

receiving, by a first receiving module, a selection of a first point along the length of the progress bar, the first point being distinct from an end of the progress bar;

receiving, by a second receiving module, a selection of a second point along the length of the progress bar, the second point being different from the first point;

selecting, based on the selection of the first point and the selection of the second point, from a group comprising a plurality of communications of secondary content from consumers of the multimedia presentation, by a selection module operatively connected to the receiving modules, those communications that have been composed in relation to points or ranges within the multimedia presentation that are between points in the multimedia presentation that correspond to the first point and the second point;

processing, by a processor operatively connected to the selection module, the selected communications to automatically generate a time interval summary comprising information dependent upon one or more of those selected communications and relevant to a selected time interval defined by the first point and the second point,

wherein the one or more communications are automatically selected based on a criterion selected from a group consisting of;

a user preference for communications of secondary content liked by other users, a user preference for communications of secondary content from a user-specified plurality of other users, and ratings given to communications by other users, and

wherein the time interval summary comprises a summary selected from a group consisting of;

a filtered selection of communications from the one or more communications, a text summary based on the one or more communications, and a video summary comprising a selection of video clips associated with the one or more communications; and

displaying, on the user interface, the time interval summary;

wherein each of the communications comprise one or more content items;

wherein each content item is selected from a group of;

content items consisting of media items, multimedia items, references to media items, and references to multimedia items; and

wherein each content item has been selected depending on at least part of the communication and content information relating to content of the multimedia presentation.

13. An apparatus for processing one or more communications, each communication having been composed by an originator, each communication having been composed in relation to a point or range within a multimedia presentation, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors operatively connected to a display device, and configured to direct the display device to display a progress bar, a length of the progress bar being representative of a duration of the multimedia presentation, a point along the length of the progress bar corresponding to a point within the multimedia presentation;

the one or more processors further configured to receive a first input comprising a selection of a first point along the length of the progress bar, the first point being distinct from an end of the progress bar;

the one or more processors further configured to receive a second input comprising a selection of a second point along the length of the progress bar, the second point being different from the first point;

a selection module of the one or more processors, configured to select, based on the first input and the second input, from a group comprising a plurality of communications of secondary content from consumers of the multimedia presentation, those communications that have been composed in relation to points or ranges within the multimedia presentation that are between points in the multimedia presentation that correspond to the first point and the second point;

the one or more processors further configured to process the selected communications to automatically generate a time interval summary comprising information dependent upon one or more of those selected communications and relevant to a selected time interval defined by the first point and the second point,

wherein the one or more communications are automatically selected based on a criterion selected from a group consisting of;

a user preference for communications of secondary content liked by other users, a user preference for communications of secondary content from a user-specified plurality of other users, and ratings given to communications by other users, and

wherein the time interval summary comprises a summary selected from a group consisting of;

a filtered selection of communications from the one or more communications, a text summary based on the one or more communications, and a video summary comprising a selection of video clips associated with the one or more communications; and

the one or more processors further configured to direct the display device to display, on the user interface, the time interval summary;

wherein each of the communications comprise one or more content items;

wherein each content item is selected from a group of;

content items consisting of media items, multimedia items, references to media items, and references to multimedia items; and

wherein each content item has been selected depending on at least part of the communication and content information relating to content of the multimedia presentation.